Grand-piano action.



H-L SANDLAS. GRAND mno ACTION.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. SANDLAS, OF FOREST PARK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PIANOCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GRAN D-PIANO ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

Application led May 12, 1913. Serial No. 766,942.

To all whom z't may concern:

' Be it known that I, HENRY J. SANDLAS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of West Forest Park, county of Baltimore, State ofMaryland, have invented an Improvement in Grand-Piano Actions, of

which the following description, in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing' like parts.

This invention relates to a grand piano action adapted to be operatedmanually through the usual keys, or automatically.

Among other objects, the invention is intended to provide a simple andcompact arrangement which shall admit of the automatic operation of theaction independently of the keys.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference Atoan illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

The figure shows an exemplary action In side elevation, and including adiagrammatic representation of the striker pneumatic by which the actionmay be automatically operated.

Referring' to the drawings, the key 1 may be fulcrumed in the usualmanner on a block 2. `For convenience. the key is shown broken away.Ordinarily in the art, a grand piano key has extended rearwardly (towardthe right in the drawing) and beneath its corresponding action, and hascarried the backcatch upon its rear end, and has also operated thedamper lever by its rear end. It is one of the objects of the inventionto provide for an operation of the back-catch and damper independentlyof the key so that the key may, if desired, remain stationary during` anautomatic operation of the action. To suit these purposes, the key inthe illustrative form, is cut away preferably just at the rear of thecapstan screw 3, which is carried by the key. This capstan screw 3 actsupon the wippen 4 and therethrough operates the action in the usualmanner. The front end of the wippen 4 is preferably extended somewhat(toward the left in the drawing) to provide a convenient coperation withthe striker pneumatic 5 which is shown diagrammatcally in a practicableposition for operating the Wippen 4 automatically. In the illustrativeform, the wippen 4 is fulcrumed at 6 upon a rail 7.

The train of mechanism in the action shown above the wippen 4, may be ofany practicable type.

The back-catch-lever 8 fulcrumed at 9, carries the back-catch 10, andalso by a felted toe 1l at its rear end, operates the damper lever 12which is fulcrumed at 13, and carries the usual damper bar 14. Thisback-catch-lever 8 is operated through an arm 16 of the wippen fl whichcarries the adjustable regulatingbutton 17. The button 17 acts upon asuitably curved and felted portion 18 of the back-catch-lever 8.Preferably the wippen fulcrum 6, the backcatch-lever fulcrum 9, and thecontact point of the button 17 and toe 18 are in substantially straightline so that friction is minimized,-in fact, practically eliminated*inthe relative movement of the contacting' surfaces of the button 17 andtoe 18.

The back-catch-lever 8 is preferably substantially alined with, and onabout the same leve] as, the key l so that the backcatch-lever is, ineffect, substituted for the rear end of the key. By this arrangementspace is very substantially economized and the organization renderedvery compact by the fact that the back-catch-lever occupiessubstantially the space which is ordinarily occupied by the rear end ofthe key in the typical actions heretofore used.

A felted stop rail 19 may be provided to prevent over-throw of theback-catch-lever 8 .in case oi' heavy attack either automatically ormanually.

In the operation ot' the described illus trative mechanism, either bydepression of the key 1 or collapsing of the striker pneuand out ofposition to support the keys, may be located between the key bed and thekeys near their front ends.

'It will be noted that while the capstan screw 3 provides for anadjustment between the key and the wippen, the regulating button 17provides for an additional adjustment between the wippen and thebackcatch-lever 8, and also a regulating button 20 shown as carried bythe striker pneumatic 5, provides for relative adjustment be tween thewippen and the automatic operating means. hus, these several adjustmentsprovide for the proper relative positioning` and cooperation of allparts.

lt is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the detailsof construction, organization and mode of operation which have beendescribed above for illustration. O n the contrary, the invention may bevariously embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Claims:

1. A grand piano action comprising, in combination, a wippen; a keyarranged to operate directly upon the wippen; a backcatch arranged to beoperated by the wippen separately from the key; automatic means tooperate directly upon the wippen; and

means to adjust the relation between the wippen and the back-catch.

2. A grand piano action comprising in combination, a wippen; a movablebackcatch support; a key and automatic means arranged respectively toact directly upon the wippen for operating the same, and an adjustableconnection from the wippen to the back-.catch support.

3. A grand piano action comprising, in combination, a wippen; a keyhaving adjustable means for acting upon the wippen; automatic meanshaving adjustable means for acting upon the wippen; a movable back-catchsupport operated by the wippen; and means for rela-tivelyv adjusting thebackcatch support and wippen; the adjustable means ot the key and themeans for adjusting the lback-catch support and wippen, cooperating topermit adjustment ot the relationship of the key and the back-catchVsupport.

4. A grand piano actionA comprising, 1n combination, a key having a.capstan screw;

l(h'ipiels o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, byaddressing the a wippen adapted to be operated by the capstan screw; aback catch lever ulcrumed below the capstan screw; adjustable meansconnecting the wippen and the back-catch lever; and a train of hammeroperating mechanism controlled by the wippen; the capstan screw and saidadjusting means coperating to permit relative adjustment of the key andback-catch lever in respect to said train of hammer operating mechanism.

5. A grand piano action comprising, in combination, a wippen having afulcrum proximate one end; a key having means tor acting upon the wippenat, a. point spaced from the wippen fulcrum; automatic means foroperating the wippen independently ot the key arranged to act upon thewippen at the opposite side of the point ot attack of the key upon thewippen, from the wippen fulcrum; a baclccatch support separate from thekey; and means carried by the wippen and operating intermediate thewippen tulcrum and the point of attack of the key to transmit actionfrom the wippen to the backcatch support.

6. A grand piano action comprising, in combination, a key; a wippenhaving a ful crum; a back-catch support movable independently of the keyand having an arm movable substantially horizontally; and another armmovable substantially vertically; and a connection between the wippenand the substantially horizontally moving arm of the back-catch support.

7. A grand piano action comprising, in combination, a key, a wippenhaving a fulcrum; a back-catch support movable independently of the keyand having an arm movable substantially horizontally, and anotherV armmovable substantially vertically; and means on the wippen to act uponthe substantially horizontally moving arm of the back-catch support at apoint substantially in the line between the wippen 'fulcrum andback-catch support fulcrum.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY J. SANDLAS.

Witnesses:

H, K. GERHARD, ARTHUR R. PAPE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

